Bibs



United States Patent BIBS Edna Schwable Wilkaitis, St. Louis, Mo., assiguor to Bemis Bro. Bag Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Apr. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 726,119

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-49) This invention relates to bibs, and more particularly to plastic bibs and methods of making them.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of plastic bibs economically made from plastic bags and methods of making the bibs from the bags, wherein integral portions of a bag are made available for use as ties for tying the bib around the neck. Other objects and features Will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions and methods hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a bag from which a bib of this invention is made, as viewed from one side of the s;

Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the other side of the Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing a bib made from the bag of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification; and

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation showing a bib made from the Fig. 4 bag.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawangs.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is indicated at 1 a flat bag made of flexible sheet plastic material, such as polyethylene, which is of a type such as is shown in United States Patent 2,709,467. This bag comprises two superposed walls 3 and 5 joined together at the side edges of the bag by heat-sealed side seams 7, and joined together at the bottom of the bag by an integral fold 9. One of the walls, wall 3 as shown, has at the month end of the bag a flap-forming extension 1-1 extending the full width of the bag and folded over on a fold line 13 aligned with the mouth end 15 of wall 5 into flatwise engagement with the outside of the wall 3. The end edges of the flap-forming portion 11 are secured to the side edges of the bag by the scams 7, being heat-sealed thereto at the same time as the heat sealing together of the side edges of the walls. Flapforming portion 11 is free of wall 3 except at seams 7 and fold '13. As will be understood from said patent, the flap-forming portion 11 is adapted, after merchandise has been placed in the bag, to be flipped over the open top of the bag to serve as a closure. To open the bag for removal of the merchandise, the flap-forming portion 11 is flipped back to its original position on the outside of wall 3.

In furtherance of invention, the bag 1 has printed on one wall thereof, wall 3 as shown, and adjacent the bottom of the bag, lines such as indicated at 17, 19, 2 1, 23 and which indicate where cuts are to be made to convert the bag to a bib. As shown in Fig. 2, line 17 Patented Aug. 23,1960

is a transverse line extending completely across the wall 3 closely adjacent the bottom fold 9 of the bag. Line 19 is a transverse line extending completely across the wall 3 spaced inwardly from the line 17. Line 21 is a transverse line extending across the wall 3 midway be- .tween lines 17 and 19 from near one side edge of the bag to near the other. Line 23 is a generally vertical line extending from one end of line 21 to line 17 adjacent one side edge of the bag. Line 25 is a generally vertical line extending from the other end of line 21 to line '19 adjacent the other side edge of the bag. Instructions (not shown) may be printed on the bag specitfying that both walls of the bag are to be cut through on line 17, and that only one wall (for example, wall 3) is to be cut on lines 19, 21, 23 and 25.

When both walls of the bag are cut on line 17, thereby cutting away the bottom so that the bag becomes a flat open-ended tube, and wall 3 is cut on lines 19, 21, 23 and 25, integral ribbon-like portions 27 and 29 of this wall are obtained which extend transversely of the resultant tube adjacent the end thereof opposite the flapforming portion 11. These ribbon-like portions are cut away except at their juncture with the other Wall 5 at the side edge seams 7, and are adapted to extend laterally outward from the side edges of the resultant tube as shown in Fig. 3 to form ties adapted to be tied around the neck so that the bag is useful as a bib. In this respect, it will be observed that the flap-forming portion -1 1 forms a pocket, and the bib may be tied on with this pocket on the outside, to serve to catch food or liquid dribbling down the bib.

It will be seen that each of the ties 27 and 29 has a length corresponding to the width of the flat tube, and that these ties are oifset from one another lengthwise of the flat tube.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification in which the pattern of cut lines is somewhat different than as described above, the lines here being designated 31, 33 and 35. Line 31 is similar to line 17, being a transverse line extending completely across the wall 3 closely adjacent the bottom fold 9 of the bag. Line 33 is a transverse line extending completely across the wall 3 spaced inward from line 31. Line 35 is a vertical line extending generally centrally of the bag from line 31 to line 33.

When both walls are cut on line 31, and wall 3 is cut on lines 33 and 35, integral ribbon-like portions 37 and 39 are obtained which extend transversely of the resultant tube adjacent the end thereof opposite the flapforming portion 11. These ribbon-like portions 37 and 39 are cut away except at their juncture with the other wall 5 at the side edge scams 7, and are adapted to extend laterally outward to form ties as illustrated in Fig. 5. Each of the ties 3'7 and 39 has a length corresponding to half the width of the bag, and are aligned (instead of being offset as in the Fig. 3 form of the invention).

In View of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A bib formed from a flat bag made of flexible sheet plastic material having two superposed walls joined together at the side edges of the bag by side seams, one of said walls having at one end of the bag a flap-forming portion extending the full width of the bag folded over into flatwise engagement with the outside of said one wall, the end edges of said flapdorrning portion being secured to the side edges of the bag by said side seams, integral ribbon-like portions of one of the walls of the bag extending transversely of the bag at the other end of the "hag'heing cut away except adjacent the side seams, said ribbon-like portions being adapted to extend laterally outward from the side edges of the bag to form ties and said flap-forming portion providing a bib pocket.

2. A bib as set forth in claim 1 wherein each ribbonrlike portion has a length corresponding to the width of the bag and wherein the two ribbon-like portions are offset from one another lengthwise of the bag.

3. A bib "as set 'forth in claim 1 wherein each ribbonlike portion has a length corresponding approximately to half the Width of the bag and wherein the two ribbon-like portions are aligned.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

